(Washington, DC) – Every day, the
Metropolitan Police Department works to recover and investigate illegal
firearms in Washington D.C. In addition to our patrol officers, the
Department has specialized units—such as the Gun Recovery Unit (GRU), Criminal
Interdiction Unit (CIU), and Crime Suppression Teams (CSTs)—who work tirelessly
to safely and respectfully secure illegal firearms and get them off of our
streets. From Monday, January 22, 2018, through Monday, January 29, 2018,
MPD detectives and officers recovered 29 firearms in the District of
Columbia.

Note: This is not a comprehensive
list of all guns recovered in the District of Columbia.

A few weeks ago, UrbanTurf reported on the Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) Vacant to Vibrant DC initiative, which included an auction of more than 30 vacant houses and lots throughout the city. Now, the gavel has sounded and the properties are on the way to becoming up to fifty units of workforce housing....

The following raze applications were
filed at the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) between
December 27, 2017 – January 22, 2018:

ANC Address

2C
1334-1336 G Street NW ( 6 story commercial building)

2E
3800 Reservoir Road NW ( 6 story building)

3D
5304 Dorsett Place NW (dwelling)

4B
917 Sheridan Street NW (dwelling)

5D 500
Morse Street NW ( 2 story commercial building)

5E 121
W Street NW (garage)

7B
3233 Ely
Place SE (SF dwelling)

8E
3906 Wheeler Road SE (dwelling)

8A 1212
Talbert Street SE ( two story apartment building)

8D
3424 A Travis Way SW (accessory structure)

________

Historic Preservation Clearance of Raze
Permit Applications

All raze permit applications in the
District of Columbia are submitted to the Historic Preservation Office (HPO)
for clearance. The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) gives
applicants a blank clearance letter to submit to HPO for this purpose.

Why does HPO review all raze permit
applications?

HPO clearance of raze applications
safeguards against demolition of historic properties by accident or without
proper public notice. HPO also ensures that raze applications subject to review
under the DC historic preservation law are processed appropriately.

Why is public notice of raze
applications important?

District law requires public notice of
raze permit applications for both historic and non-historic property. This is
because building demolition is often a matter of interest to affected residents
and communities. In addition, the DC historic preservation law allows community
groups to seek temporary and permanent protection for any property that may
meet the criteria for historic landmark designation.

What is the public notice requirement?

Two types of public notice are required
for raze applications before a permit is issued:

The DC Building Code requires the permit applicant to
post and maintain a notice of the application on the property for 30 days
(12A DCMR § 105.7.1).

The Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) Act requires
DCRA to give ANCs a notice of 30 working days, which is usually about 45
days (D.C. Official Code § 1-309.10(c)). DCRA sends this notice by email.

The public notice of raze permit
applications establishes a review period during which communities may seek
information and consider historic preservation concerns about a property
proposed for demolition.

How can I determine when the public
review period ends?

HPO posts copies of pending raze permit
applications on the Office of Planning website . This posting includes a copy
of the DCRA notice to ANCs. The public review period expires 30 working days
after the date of the DCRA notice.

How long does the HPO review take?

HPO reviews raze applications promptly
and in accordance with public notice requirements. The procedures and timing
are different for historic and non-historic property.

For non-historic property, HPO typically
holds applications for the length of the required ANC notice period. HPO may
also request photographs to confirm posting of the notice placard on the
property. If an application clearly raises no historic preservation concerns,
HPO may use its discretion to sign off on the application before the notice period
expires.

For historic property, HPO reviews the
application according to the procedures required in the DC historic
preservation law. The law discourages demolition of historic landmarks and
properties contributing to the character of historic districts. Typically, an
application to raze a historic property must be referred to the Historic
Preservation Review Board for a recommendation, and to the Mayor’s Agent for a
public hearing.

What if applications to raze and
designate a property as historic are on file at the same time?

The DC historic preservation law allows
ANCs and community groups with a demonstrated interest in historic preservation
to file applications for historic designation at any time. Once an application
to designate a historic landmark is filed with HPO, the property is protected
by law for 90 days to allow HPRB time to determine whether the property meets
historic landmark designation criteria. This protection does not apply to
properties covered by historic district applications.

During this 90-day temporary protection
period, the District may not issue the raze permit for the property. If HPRB
determines after a public hearing that the property meets the designation
criteria, it becomes a historic landmark and receives permanent protection
under the preservation law. If HPRB determines that the property does not meet
the criteria, HPO completes the preservation review by clearing the raze
application.

How does HPO clear raze applications?

HPO clears the raze application by
signing the DCRA clearance letter attached to the application. The clearance
means either the property is not subject to the preservation law, or the
demolition has been authorized under the preservation law.

HPO notifies the raze permit applicant
once the HPO clearance letter is signed. Cleared applications are available for
pick-up at the front reception desk in the Office of Planning during regular
business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm).

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

HPO is releasing the 2020
District of Columbia Historic Preservation Plan by January 15 for a 45-day
public comment period lasting until March 1, 2018. The Plan sets forth the
vision and goals that will guide preservation efforts in the District, and is
the result of public engagement led by HPO and the Office of Planning (OP) in
coordination with the Comprehensive Plan update. Upon release, a copy of the
plan will be posted on the OP website at www.planning.dc.gov.

Longtime resident
and reader of the newsletter. Thanks for all the good work over the years. :)

I have a pet care
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